A Love for Romance

by Kahlen Aymes

  I shook my head. "I think you're okay for any sex. I'm all about gender equality, you know?"

  She giggled. "Okay. Thanks. I guess."

  "So...want to maybe hang out sometime? Maybe you could come over to my house after pick up one day. We just had a media room built and my mom finally let me buy Dumb and Dumber. It's on DVD."

  "You have a DVD player?" her eyes widened, and I knew I'd impressed her.

  "Yeah, we just got one. You should see how they play movies. It's amazing."

  She curled her hair around her finger. "Okay. Maybe I can ask my parents sometime."

  Chapter 5

  Roni

  I didn't know how long I'd been in my dream world.

  Was it really a dream?

  Trigg was never this sweet in real life.

  Well, he was...once upon a time.

  "Roni! Patrick is here!"

  I took one last look in the full-length mirror.

  I still couldn't believe my mom let me get the dress. We'd gone through just about every department store in Chicago before I found the perfect one. It was pink and strapless with a large, poufy skirt. It made me feel like a fairy princess, even if it showed more skin than my mom wanted.

  She even let me go tanning for the month before prom and now my skin had a light, golden glow to match the blonde streaks in my caramel-colored hair. Trigg had always just seen me with my hair up and in sweaters or soccer uniform. Now was my time to show that I could be a girl.

  And hopefully the night I'd give him everything.

  I smoothed out my dress one last time before I opened the door to my bedroom and headed down the hall to the stairs.

  Trigg was standing at the bottom, talking to my dad. Most guys our age hated that they had to rent a tux, but Trigg seemed to look pretty comfortable in his and filled it out better than most guys. He wasn't overly muscular, like the roided out guys on the football team, but he had spent a fair amount of time in the gym.

  But when he looked up at me and those green eyes met mine, that's when the lump formed in my throat and I found it hard to breathe.

  His lips formed a perfect 'O' as he mouthed, "Wow," and helped me down the last stare.

  "You look amazing," he whispered.

  "Not so bad yourself, Chapman." I winked.

  Later that night, in the back of his dad's luxury SUV, he slowly unzipped my dress, my bare back exposed as I slowly peeled down my dress. His eyes roamed over my breasts, but ultimately went back to looking into my eyes. He was gentle yet rough when needed. I'd never felt a sensation like having him inside of me, whispering over and over how beautiful I was.

  When we were done, he rolled me over and I laid on his bare chest, staring up at the stars through the sunroof. I expected the world to look so much different now that I was no longer a virgin.

  But the stars still shone. My heart still beat wildly and Trigg still looked at me the same way; like I was the only girl in the world. The only one that mattered.

  "I love you, Roni," he whispered, kissing my temple.

  He'd said it before. Millions of times.

  But now it felt like it really meant something. Like all of this was more than just a childhood crush. We were real. Maybe this was what real love was. Maybe this was my forever.

  Chapter 6

  Trigg

  I stayed by her bedside all night. Roni's parents said they would watch Bella.

  I didn't want her there.

  She didn't need to see her mommy like this.

  Not that she'd understand it, but I didn't want this to be possibly the last vision of her mother.

  I choked up just thinking of the thought.

  I'd never been with another woman. Ever.

  Even though we were living apart, I couldn't even think about it. I didn't want to be with anyone other than her.

  My friends and college fraternity brothers always gave me shit. They said that dating a girl my entire life could only end up turning out bad. They said that childhood sweethearts don't work out and we'd be divorced by thirty.

  I wasn't even thirty yet.

  She'd filed the papers.

  They were right.

  I stared at her, with those fluttering eyelids.

  I wanted to know what she was dreaming of.

  Those were my last thoughts before my eyelids grew heavy and I found myself drifting off as well.

  "Trigg? Are you here?"

  My eyes opened to a ray of bright sunlight and the silhouette of a woman over me. Not just any woman, but Roni.

  "Roni! You're awake!" I sat up and scanned my surroundings. We were sitting on the dock at my parents' vacation house on Lake Michigan.

  The breeze brushed over us, whipping Roni's hair over her shoulders. I pushed it back and traced my fingertips along her jawline.

  "You're really here. How? When? What is going on?"

  She put her fingers to my lips gently before putting them back on her lap. "You're dreaming."

  "But how do you know? Aren't I not supposed to know I'm dreaming?"

  She shrugged. "I know you're dreaming."

  I sat up slowly, keeping my hand on her face. "Are you dreaming too?"

  "Maybe. I'm not sure what else this is."

  I licked my lips and shook my head. "This can't be possible. People can't meet in their dreams."

  "Who says?" she asked.

  "I don't know. It just doesn't seem possible."

  "Anything is possible," she whispered.

  I took her hand and held it. It felt real. She looked real. It all felt too real. Slowly I let go and traced my fingers up her arm until my other hand was on the side of her face. Her eyes met mine and I couldn't stop staring at them.

  These were the same eyes I had been staring at and waiting for them to open. Now they were staring back at me.

  "Can I kiss you?" I asked in a hoarse whisper.

  She leaned in forward. "It's your dream, Trigg. You can do whatever you want."

  "Trigg? Trigg? What the hell, man? Are you kissing the air?"

  I slowly opened my eyes and came face-to-face with my brother Tripp. He was sporting his usual mo-hawk and wearing a shirt that said "tattooed and employed". Technically the man who was completely covered in ink was employed in starting his own non-profit, but the shirt still made me laugh whenever he wore it. I don't remember the time the kid ever had a real job in his life.

  I rubbed my hand over my face. "I don't know. I'm sorry. I just dozed off."

  Tripp nodded, his eyes drifting toward Roni's bed. I followed his gaze. There wasn't any change. She was still sleeping.

  But the dream. The dream had been so real. I swore I could have really kissed her.

  "Trey is meeting me at a cafe not too far from here. Monica has to work tonight and so does Sam, so he thought it might be good to get you out as well."

  I shook my head. "I'm not hungry."

  Tripp rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and I'm not dying for a smoke. Come on. You can leave and she'll still be here. I promise."

  I sighed and looked over at Roni one last time. I knew the doctors would call me if there was any change, but it still hurt to leave her. I shouldn't have ever left her months ago.

  "I could grab something in the cafeteria and bring it up..."

  Tripp shook his head, revealing the new sparrow tattoo on his neck. "No can do, brother. I'm not eating shitty hospital food. Come on. I promise we won't be gone long and you can sit your happy ass back here."

  I swallowed hard, taking one last look at Roni. "Okay. One hour."

  Trey was camped out in a corner booth at some little, quaint cafe not far from the hospital.

  While Tripp was the middle brother covered in tattoos, Trey was the youngest who liked to wear a suit or button downs and dress pants whenever possible. It still amazed me that the guy was with a girl who had facial piercings and, much to the dismay of our conservative father, ended up getting her pregnant before they were married.

  "Reading the comics?"
Tripp asked, taking the seat across from Trey.

  Trey shook his head, folding up the newspaper and setting it at the seat beside of him before I scooted in next to Tripp. "If you consider the politics section the comics."

  "Some days they are," Tripp muttered.

  Trey looked in my direction and nodded. "How are you doing, Trigg? More importantly, how is Roni?"

  I blew out a deep breath and raked my fingers through my hair. "No change. She's still out of it. There have been different nurses that come in and check her vitals, but I guess no news is good news, right?"

  Trey forced a smile. It was one that I liked to call the "political-Chapman-bullshit-smile". We all had it. Dad used it when he was talking to campaign people that he didn't want to deal with. Trey used it when he didn't have anything else to say and wanted people to be hopeful. I think Tripp used it to get girls.

  "I'm sure the doctors know what they're doing. She's in the best hands," Trey said before the waitress came and took our orders.

  I didn't have an appetite. My stomach was in complete knots. But I ordered a coffee anyway.

  Tripp nudged my side. "Since when do you order coffee black? I'm surprised you didn't look for some organic, skinny thing that Roni likes."

  I ran my hands over my face. "I just need something. No time for anything fancy."

  Tripp raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that how you usually operate though? You and Trey like things a certain way and if those things get thrown out of whack, all hell breaks loose."

  I shook my head. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

  Tripp wiped his hands on his pants. "Okay, let's take an example. When Sam was over the other day, she was nice and washed some of our towels. She didn't use the little fabric softener things that you said Roni bought at Whole Foods or something and you redid the entire freaking load."

  "That's because she left them in the washer too long and they smelled funny," I retorted.

  Tripp shook his head. "They smelled fine, dude. You're just crazy."

  "Hey, I can say the same thing about you and Trey for that matter!"

  Trey shook his head, lifting up his hands as the waitress placed our coffees in front of us. "Hey, don't bring me into this. I'm just an innocent bystander."

  The waitress walked away and Trey took a sip of his coffee. "But he is kind of right, Tripp. You are kind of set in your ways."

  "And like you aren't?"

  Trey shook his head. "I used to be. I used to think there were no exceptions to any of the rules, but then I learned that sometimes, actually most of the time, there are times that the rules need to be bent. Not broken, but a little twisted."

  Tripp laughed. "Yeah, like getting your girlfriend pregnant before the election."

  Trey glared at Tripp, a crack in his usual calm demeanor. "Yes. I guess you could call that a little bend."

  Tripp took down about half of his coffee in one drink. "Still weird to me that I have a girl, Trey's going to be a dad, and Trigg is sleeping on my couch."

  Trey nudged Tripp. "Not the time to bring that up, Tripp."

  "Sorry, dude, it just kind of came up."

  I put my hand out. "No. It's fine. I'm fine. I'm the jerk husband who now has a wife in a coma."

  Tripp turned and fully faced me, his eyes growing wide. "Whoa, dude, I never said that. Don't freak out."

  I shook my head. "No. It is true. She kicked me out and instead of doing everything I could to try and make it work, I went and slept on my brother's couch. You know it's not easy, sometimes. After you've been together so long it's not always roses and flowers. I've been with her since I was twelve-years-old. No one else but her. How do you even know what to do after that many years together? You do the same thing day in and day out and then one day it isn't enough."

  Trey looked straight at me, his face serious. "Then you fight harder. You do what you have to do to make it work if you want it to."

  I shook my head. "I don't even know how to fight."

  Tripp nudged me. "You don't necessarily need to fight. Sometimes you just have to pay attention. Your head is usually either down in your phone or your computer. This is the longest I've seen you without either in your hand. Sometimes I think your married to work and not Roni."

  I scoffed. "I do not."

  Which reminded me that I hadn't checked my email in a few hours. I probably had at least a dozen from the new account.

  "Bull," Tripp said. "Look, it's hard. We were raised with all of this technology and sometimes I feel like I don't know how to interact with real people. I only know what to do if I'm typing to them. But you two have been together forever. You fell for her once and she fell for your dumb ass, so obviously you did something right once upon a time."

  If she made it through.

  God. What if she didn't? What if the last time I saw her was when we tried to have dinner and I got a text from my boss in the middle and had to run to Tripp's and work on a client's account?

  I didn't want to think about that.

  I couldn't think about that.

  I had to hope that this was all just a dream and she'd wake up.

  Chapter 7

  Roni

  Trigg's mouth was warm on mine. I couldn't remember the last time I kissed him and when the kiss was so passionate.

  If we were really in the same dream, I needed him to know that I did care, but didn't know how to tell him.

  I guess if it wasn't real, then it didn't matter what I said.

  I broke our kiss and his lip trembled before Trigg slowly opened his eyes.

  "Trigg, I need to tell you something."

  He shook his head and grabbed my hands. "No. I need to tell you. I've been an ass. I should be spending more time with you instead of my computer. You and Bella are the two most important people in the world to me and instead of spending time with you, I stare at a computer screen. I don't know why I do it. Maybe it's some kind of an addiction and I need a screen rehab."

  "That's ridiculous."

  He ran his fingers through his hair and licked his lips. "If we never wake up from this dream and I'm forever in paradise with you, then I'm okay with it, but we both need to wake up and when we do, I'm going to be a better man for both of us."

  I shook my head. How many times had he said that? How many times had he said that he'd be home for dinner and was late then stared at his phone all night?

  "I don't know..."

  He put his hands on my face. It was a dream, but I could feel him, every tip of his warm fingers. It took me back.

  Back to when I first met him.

  Back to Kara's basement and those beautiful green eyes.

  The ones I fell in love with all of those years ago.

  Those ones I was now so desperate to see not just in a dream.

  "Veronica. I'm going to be here for you. When you wake up. I'll be here. I promise."

  Chapter 8

  Trigg

  I woke up early.

  Normally I would have checked my phone right away, even before a shower, but not this morning.

  I dreamt of Roni again.

  I wondered if it was some sort of a sign.

  I almost forgot my phone as I quickly showered, dressed, and headed out the door before Tripp was even awake.

  There was a Starbucks on the first floor of the hospital. Without even thinking, I ordered myself a grande caramel macchiato and a second one for Roni.

  It was too late to change my mind when the young barista handed it to me, so I accepted it.

  I mentally told myself I would give it to one of her nurses, but when I walked into Roni's room, I ended up setting it on her bedside.

  "I got your favorite. Skinny, too. You said we both need to watch that. I should have gotten soy, though. Sorry."

  She didn't move. Her face was still, almost serene with her brown hair splayed around her on the pillow.

  If she were awake, she would have asked me to bring her lavender spray for her pillow. She was getting into ess
ential oils and everything had a cure with some sort of a scent. I needed to remember to pick some up.

  A knock came out the door, pushing me out of my reverie.

  I stood up and turned to see an older, gray haired man with a set of thin glasses. "Mr. Chapman, I presume?"

  I briskly shook his hand. "Yes, sir. You must be her doctor. Sorry."

  "Yes, I'm Dr. Traeger, Veronica's neurologist. I just came in to check her vitals.

  "Okay, that sounds fair," I said, watching as he wheeled in a machine and motioned for a short, brunette nurse to follow him.

  "What we're going to do, Mr. Chapman, is attach this electroencephalogram machine to her head to test the electrical impulses in her brain."

  The nurse attached a bunch of tiny flat discs, attached to wires, to Roni's head. Those wires were attached to another machine with a large screen.

  I didn't say a word as the doctor and nurse went to work and wavy lines appeared on the screen. The doctor and nurse looked at each other and nodded, taking down notes on a tablet.

  "What does all of this mean?" I asked, pointing at the squiggly lines on the screen. "Is this good?"

  The doctor smiled. "It looks like she has brain activity. She's dreaming."

  Chapter 9

  Roni

  I would go in and out of darkness.

  But every time there was light, Trigg was there.

  "Roni? Roni?"

  "I'm here, Trigg. I'm here."

  "Roni, can you hear me?"

  "Yes! I can!" I didn't know if I was speaking out loud or just in my dream.

  But I could see him.

  I saw him in all the phases of our life from awkward pre-teens, confident college kids, to adults with a little too much hanging in the middle.

  Every stage he was running to me, looking for me, until he stopped in front of me, looking like modern day Trigg with the graying beard and all.

  "Roni. Are you dreaming? Am I dreaming?"

  "I think so. I don't know what's what anymore, but I'm glad you're here. Whatever this is."

  He reached for my hand and I felt it. Usually when he held me in dreams it felt like my hand was asleep or numb. I saw him touching me but I couldn't feel it. This time I felt his warm, calloused fingers against mine.